Srinagar, March 23 (KINS): “Take us to India, we want to die there,” say 30 Kashmiri pilgrims stuck in a hotel in Iran.
All 30 pilgrims are feeling frustrated as according to them none is coming to their rescue.
On Monday one of the stuck pilgrims told KINS over phone from Hotel Feroza Iran, said they had arrived Iran to visit shrines and other religious places, but got stuck due to fast spread of Coronavirus.
“We are in a huddle, all together 30 including an infant and a minor child. Take us to India, we want to die there. We don’t want to die in Iran,” said the pilgrim over phone.
He claimed that despite repeated requests and even protests registered by them in front of the Indian embassy Iran, nothing happened.
“Doctors from the Indian embassy claim that 16 of us are positive while doctors from Iran stated that none of us is positive. We are in a complete shock and despair left with the only option to appeal the Prime Minister Narendera Modi and Iranian government to evacuate us forthwith before we all die one by one in the hotel,” the pilgrim said.
A pilgrim complained if husband of a woman is tested positive, how come he can continue to stay with his wife. “Doesn’t it look that we all have been left to die slowly. Even if one positive case is among us, that is risk for all of us. Why doesn’t the Indian embassy and the Iranian government understand the seriousness of the situation,” he said.
According to reports three pilgrims from Ladakh who have tested positive for COVID-19 have died in Iran. The Centre last week confirmed that around 255 Indian pilgrims in Iran have tested positive for the coronavirus infection.
Meanwhile the Indian embassy in Iran has said that it has set up a “wellness facility” in Qom to take care of the coronavirus-infected Indian pilgrims. On Wednesday, the government had said 255 Indians in Iran had tested positive for COVID-19. (KINS)